Game-piece rack



E. G. DANN GAME PIECE RACK Fil d Aug. 25, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l R mm N Jfi m #m ND T A M t m r V if V. B

E. G. DANN GAME PIECE RACK Filed Aug. 23. 1923 2 Shoots-Shoat 2 &

INVENTOR.

Ernest G. Dunn ATTO E Y5.

ple of the invention being Patented Jan. 115, i925.

UNITED STATES ERNEST Gr. DANN, OF GHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GAME-PIECE RACK.

Application filed August 23, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST G. DANN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Game-Piece Racks, of which the following is a specification, the princiherein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other inventions.

The present invention, relating, as indicated, to game-piece racks, is more particularly directed to an improved rack for use in playing the Chinese game, variously known in this country by the names Mahjongg, Pung-chow and others. The invention also relates to a complete table pro vided with my improved racks, upon which the game may be played. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain mecha nism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawings 2- Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved table and racks in position thereon; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view in perspective of one of the racks; Fig. 3 is a similar View showing the rack from another quarter; Fig. 4: is a transverse cross-section of the rack illustrating the movement of the tile thereon, and Fig. 5 is a section through a modification of my rack.

The game of Mah-jongg, Pung-chow, etc., is played with a large number of small pieces, called tile, which are first built into a double wall in the form of a square. The wall is then broken at some point, the players each drawing a hand consisting of a certain number of tile, which are then placed on end facing the player in order that he may read the characters while concealing the characters from the other players. As various tile, such as those representing the seasons and combinations of three or four similarly marked tile, or sequences of similar tile are formed in the hand of the player they are faced down on the table, usually at an adjacent corner of the table in full Serial No. 658,921.

view of all of the players. These tile form a part of the open hand of each player and cannot be conveniently placed in front of the player, since the lengthof the tile wall is so great that it must be placed close to each player, on the ordinary table, while the interior of the square formed by the tile wall is quickly covered with the discarded tile which are drawn by the various players from the wall, and which would be confused with the open hand of each player if the latter were placed in front of the wall.

Racks are sometimes used in playing the game, each rack consisting of a strip of molding, upon which the tile of each players private hand are placed on end, but these racks are inconvenient since when any given combination is formed the three or four tile forming this combination must be picked out of the rack by hand and then laid at the corner of the table, and it is difficult even for experienced players to readily pick up the three or four pieces of each combination and place them at the corners of the table, in addition to the fact that these corners are rapidly filled with tile and cannot be readily seen by the other players.

I have provided a very much improved and entirely convenient rack or device for playing this game, and for holding both the tile which forms the players private hand and those which form his open hand, the means for holding the tile of these two hands being so related that a simple single movement of the player enables him to move any tile from the'private hand into the open hand at any time, and at the same time to keep entirely distinct the tile of the two hands.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a table, along the four sides of which are placed racks 2, one for each player, the construction of the racks being shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4t. The construction of each rack is perhaps best illustrated in Fig. 3, and consists of two shelves or surfaces 3 and 4 at unequal elevation, but in adjacent relation, on the first of which surfaces 3 are placed in an upright posi tion tile 5, which form the players private hand. On the upper shelf 4 are placed, in a substantially horizontal position, the tile 6, which form the players open hand, and the height of the wall 7, which separates or connects the two surfaces or shelves 8 and 4, is such that a pressure of the players hand against the upper part of any one of the tile 5 conveniently tilts this tile into the position of the tile shown on the upper surface, as will be more clearly described hereinafter. The rack is also provided with a series of four shallow compartments 8, 9, 10 and 11, in which may be arranged the counters used in playing the game, all of the counters of one value being placed in one of the compartments.

Referring now to Fig. 1, where the position of the racks is shown, it will be noted that these racks are of a length adapting them to abut at their corners 12, thus leaving the corners 25 of the table clear for score-cards, ash trays and other articles which usually are scattered in various places about the table, and to some extent interfere with the free use of the playing space. In the center of the table is placed a small cup 13, upon which are marked the four winds, 14, 15, 16 and ,17, and this cupis pivoted so that it may be turned to indicate the dealer, while in the shallow recess in this cup may be kept the dice, which are used to determine the original seating of the players and the point at'which the wall shall be broken when the game is begun.

' I have also shown in Fig. 1 in the lowermost rack a series of tile 18, which constitute the open hand of the player at that side of the table, and a second series of tile 19, which constitute'the private hand of that player arranged in the positions in which they will be used during the game. After each tile is tilted from the'lower shelf 3 on to the higher shelf 4 in the manner indicated in Fig. 4, they are shoved to the left of the rack where they are held against an end partition 20, while the players private hand is kept at the rightof the lower shelf 3, so that at any time any of the tile at this hand may be tilted on to the upper shelf, which at that point is free of tile, the rack being long enough to accommodate the entire hand of the'player, which never exceeds fourteen tile at any one time.

The double wall of tile which is built at the beginning of the game is shown in Fig. 3, and -this may be very rapidly and conveniently built against the outer surface of the rack, which is sufficientlyhigh to catch the second row of tile 30, after'which the tile forming each side. of. the wall may be moved out'slightly from the outer. surface of the wall 22 for the convenience of the. players in drawing from it.'

After the game is completed all of the tile 'in each players hand are. exposed on the upper shelf 4L while the hand is counted, after which allof these tile, which are then faced upwardly, must be placed face down, on the table and shuffled. The tile on the upper surface can be very easily thrown on to the table face downward by tilting them against a projecting shoulder 21 at the. inner edge of the surface 4, in the manner shown in Fig. 4. This can be done by a single direct movement of each player, and practically all of these face tile fall face downward on the table.

The height of the wall 7 between the ledges 3 and 4 is immaterial, but for convenience it should be tilted slightly to the vertical and should extend to a point somewhat above thecenter of the tile which are on end on the lower ledge 3 so that a simple push against the upper part of these tile will serve to pivot them about the upper edge of the wall 7, when they will fall into the position shown in Fig. 3 on the upper ledge. The latter surface should be substantially horizontal, but may be inclined slightly toward the center of the table in order to incline the tile sufliciently for the other three players to readily see the characters 011 the surface, but should not be tilted somuch that a player cannot himself'see the characters on the tile of his own hand without leaning forward over the edge of the table. Similarly the lower ledge 3 may be slightly tilted to the horizontal sufficiently so that the player at each rack may himself see, the characters on the outer surfaces ofthese tile without leaning the angle should not other player can see those tile. 7 I

The racks may be either secured to the table, which is then a permanent Mah-jongg table, or they may be laid on the table, orremovably secured thereto, in which event they may also be used to receive and store the implements of the game, such as the tile, the counters, dice, the indicator of the seasons and of the dealer and other devices, two trays serving to completely enclose a half of one set so that the entire set may be carried in the fourtrays. In thisevent the construction of the rack will be. slightly modified, as indicated in Fig. 5, so that two racks may be conveniently secured together.

Other modes of applying the. principle of my invention maybe employed instead of the one explained, change being, made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims'or the equivalent of such stated means be employed;

1 therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as, my invention,:-

the outer I surfaces of 1. In, a game-piece rack of: the cl iaracter described, the combination of an elongated block having two shelves at different elevations and a partition wall extending upwardly, from the lower of two shelves to the upper thereof, the lower of said shelves and said. wall forming substantially a right angled support for game-piece tile resting on. end and said wall being inclined-slightly from the vertical plane and the. upper one,

back from the table, but 7 be so great that any of said shelves having a width not less than the length of a tile inclining forwardly and slightly downwardly from the top of said partition wall, and said upper shelf having an upwardly projecting flange along its outer edge at a height less than the thickness of a tile, said flange being adapted to retain tile on said upper shelf thereagainst.

2. In a game-piece rack of the character described, the combination of an elongated block having two shelves at different elevations and a partition wall extending from such lower shelf to said upper shelf but being of less height than the height of tile resting on end on said lower shelf, said lower shelf being inclined to the horizontal, and the upper of said shelves inclining downwardly from the top of said wall and being of a width not less than the length of a tile and a raised flange extending along the lower edge of said upper shelf, said flange being of less height than the thickness of a tile and being adapted to retain tile thereagainst on said upper shelf.

3. A combined game-piece rack and container consisting of a shallow rectangular tray having three shelves therein at different elevations, the uppermost of said shelves being slightly inclined to the horizontal and of a width not less vthan the length of a game-piece tile, allowing the latter to rest on said shelf in exposed position, the intermediate of said shelves being at a slight angle to the horizontal and of a width not less than the thickness of a game-piece tile, an inclined partition wall extending between the intermediate and uppermost of said shelves, said wall being of less height than the height of a tile resting on said intermediate shelf, the lowermost of said shelves being horizontal, and the sides of said tray extending upwardly from the lowermost of said shelves a distance greater than half the height of a tile, whereby two of said trays, superimposed in inverted relation one upon the other, afford storage space between said lowermost shelves for tile resting on end on one of the same.

Signed by me, this 20th day of August,

ERNEST G. DANN. 

